Conventional vehicles often include a roof-rack assembly mounted to a roof of the vehicle to support large and/or bulky items. For example, a vehicle may include a pair of rails extending along a length of a vehicle roof with at least one cross-member extending between each of the rails and spaced apart from a surface of the vehicle roof. The cross-members extending between the cross rails cooperate with the cross rails to support large and/or bulky items away from a top surface of the vehicle roof during transport of such items. Such supports and cross-members are typically fixedly attached to the vehicle and are not movable relative to the roof.
While conventional roof-rack assemblies adequately support large and/or bulky items on a roof of a vehicle, such roof-rack assemblies are typically not adjustable. Furthermore, because such roof-rack assemblies include supports that extend generally along a length of a vehicle roof and cross-members that extend between the supports and above a top surface of a vehicle roof, conventional roof-rack assemblies increase the overall drag of the vehicle. Increasing the drag of the vehicle generally reduces the fuel economy and performance of the vehicle. Further yet, because such conventional roof-rack systems are fixed in a position having side supports and cross-members that extend from a top surface of a vehicle roof, conventional roof-rack systems adversely affect the overall aesthetics and styling of the vehicle.